Clothes-line reel.



I. G. POORMAN.

CLOTHES LINE REEL. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 7, 1910.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1-,

6 Suva Woe Lia/m .Paarman.

J. G. POORMAN.

CLOTHES LINE REEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1910.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

{la wanted, John CPaorman. 1X 'vbn cows wa y-WA UNITED STA'IMENT OFFICE-v 1 Joan e. roonmarv; or SUMMERHILL, PENNSYLVANIA, n's'srenoa or our-Titian r IRWIN Mi onnrtannr roa'rAeE, PENNSYLVANIA;

ma s.

. TodZl it may concern:

Iancluseful- Improvements in Clothes-Line Be it known that 1, JOHN C; POORMAN, a

' citizen of the ,United States, residing at Summerhillfinthe county of Cambria, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new Reels; and ldo hereby declare the following to beasfull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in thegart to which it appertains to make. and use the same.

This inventionrelates to clothes line reels. The'object of the invention resides in the construction of a-device in which the clothes line when not in use will be inelosed within a casing to protect the same from the weather, and further aims to provide means ,whereby the-clothes line will be automatibee for the purpose 'ofettecting repairs necessically wound upon a spool or reel within the casi' g when the outerend of the same has x l 'unfastened". --Another obj ect; of the invention resides in -'.'providing means whereby the reel and the shaft upon which same isniounted may be easily and readily removed from its bearings tated-by damage due to accident or wear.

A still' further object of the invention resides in providing means whereby the spool struction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described'and set forth in the. claims.

In descr blng-the invention 1n detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of referencedenote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which,

1 Figure 1 a perspective view of a device constructed inaccordance with the inven; tion, a portion ofthe casing being broken away and the door thereof swung open to expose to view the mechai'nsm contained within the casing; Fig. 2, a fragmental side View of the device viewed from the right, the pawl and ratchet in for locking the reel against rotati Specification of Letters Yatent.

, .in when said bearing he. influence CLOTHES-LINE REEL;

Patented Oct. 11 1910.

Application filed January 7, 1910. Serial No. 536,833.

the reel against the influence of the automatic winding means illustrated; Fig. 4, a detail perspective view of one of the adj ustable bearing' plates which secure the shaft and reel against bodily removal from the -casmg; F 1g. 5, a detail perspective View of the device for etfectm'g an even winding of the line upon the reel; the latter being shown in dotted line and, Fig. 6 afragmental detail view of the dooy of the casing showing the slot therein and the anti-friction roller disposed there beneath" upon which the line' travels in its movement throu h said slot.

Re erring to the drawings, the device, is shown as comprising a casing formed of the sides 10 and 11, back 12, bottom 13 and top 14; the frontof said casing being opened and closed through the inst-rumentality of a hinged door 15. The back 12 of the casing projects at each end beyond the top and bottom members 13 and 14: and is adapted to be secured directly to a wall or other suitable support through the medium of securing devices passed through the extending portions thereof. The top 14 is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the side members 10 and 11 and projects at its front and side edges beyond the front and side members of the casing to effectually prevent the entrance of water into the in terior of the casing. Each of the side members l0 and 11 is provided with corresponding horizontally disposed slots 16 and 17 respectively, the lower wall of each of said slots being provided at its extreme inner end with a semi-circular recess for a purpose tobe presently described.

Disposed above the slot 16 in the side 10 and extending longitudinally thereof are the spaced guide rails 18 and 19 between which is mounted for a sliding movement a bearing plate'QO which has formed in its lower edge a semi-circular recess 21 corresponding to the recess the lower wall of 16 and in verticalf'alinement therewith so plate 20 is moyed.;;.to--

ward said slotthe recess in the lower wallof the slot ltlcand'the recess 21 in said plate will form jointly a shaft bearing: 'lh'eplate. 20 is further provided with thevertlcal slo 22 and 23 inv parallel spaceinent' and eX-Ql-QO tending through the upper edge thereof. adapted to receive respectively the shanks of set screws 24 and 25,, said screws being mounted in the side member 10 and posi; tioned in vertical alinement with the slots 22 and 23. By. this construction it will be apparent thlitthe plate 20 can be adjusted vertically in the guide rails 18 and 19 and held in any adjusted position by the set. screws 2% and Mounted on the outer face of the side member 11 of the casing above the slot 17 are spaced guide rails26 and 27 corresponding to, the guide rails 18 and 19, while a bearing plate 28, similar to the bearing plate 20" is mounted forvertical movement between said guide rails andfhas formed in its lower edge a recess 29 disposed in vertical alinement with a corresponding recess at the inner end of the lower wall of thc slot 17 to effect ashaftbearing similar to that formed by the recess, 21 of the plate 20 and the recesses at theinner end of the lower wall -of the' slot 16. Likewise the plate 28 is provided ,with. vertically disposed slots-\- 30 and 31' corresponding to the slots and 23 of the plate 20 which. receive the shanks of the set screws 32 and respectively which are mounted in the side member 11 and 2S-is a shaft 34 which has fixed thereon said side member.

between the side members and 11 a reel upon which the clothes line is adapted to be wound and unwound, said shaft being positioned in its bearings by insertion in the slots 16 and 17 after which it is moved toward the'back of the casing until the terminals of same enter the recesses at the ends of the rear wall of the slots 16 and 17. The plates and 28 are then moved downward until the recesses 21 and 29 in. the lower rails by turning the set screws 24, and

To lock the reel 35 against rotation when a suflicient quantity of line has been un-' wound therefrom and thus permit the free line to be drawn taut without rotating the reel, d 'ratchet wheel 36 is fixed on theleft end of the shaft 34 which. projects beyond the side member 10 and a pawl 37 adapted for engagement with said ratchet'whel-36 is 'pivotally 'mounted on the outer face of From this construction itwill be apparent that when the pawl 37 is ,in engagement with the ratchet wheel 36 rotati'on. of the reel 35 in a direction to unwind the line therefrom is impossible. In

order to lock the reel against rotation under the influence of the automatic winding mechanism to .be presently described, the

right end of the shaft 34 which projects beyond the sitle memberill has mounted thereon a ratchet wheel 38, the teetlrof which are disposed oppositely to theate'eth-"of the ratchet wheel 36. A pawl 39 is pivotally 31' and 39 may be in simultaneous engagement with the ratchet wheels 36 and 38 respectively but only one or neither may be in engagement-with its respective ratchet wheel as the circumstances may demand.

, Mounted on the inner face of the side member 11 in parallel spacement therewith is a plate 40 and journaled between said plate and the side member 11 is a shaft 41.

.Mounted upon said shaft is a gear wheel 42,

while a spring 43 of the ordinary clock type encircles the shaft and has one end fixedthereto while its other end is fixed to the J ournaled between the side gear wheel l2. member 11 and a-projecting ear 4% of the plate alO is another shaft 45 which has mounted thereon a pinion alt; in mesh with the gear and also" a gear 47, the latter in turn meshing with a gear 48 mounted on the shaft- 34 between one end of the reel 35 and the side member 11'.

the engagement between the gears 48, 47,-

pinion -l6 and gear 42 will Wind up tille -1 05 spring L3 and when the end of the line which has been removed front the reel is released the energization of the spring 42 will effect a rotation of the reel 35 and rewind the line thereon.

To effect an even winding and unwinding upon thereel there is pivotally connected to the back 12 of the casing a frame 4.9 which has journaled between the sides thereof a roller 50, the position of, said frame being such that when the free end thereof is moved downward the roller 50 will move into contact with the periphery of the reel 35. A spring 51 having one end secured to a part-of the frame 49 and its" other end to the back member 12 of the casing serves to positively hold the roller 50 in engage ment with theperiphery of the wheel 35; such positive engagement effecting an even winding and unwinding of the-line vupon and from the reel. The door 15-of the casing is provided at itsupper; end with a transversely disposed slot 52 through which the line is adapted to From this con-' strut-tron it will be apparent that when the pass in its travel to and from thefreaililao amass Mounted on the outer face of said door at each end of the slot 52: are a pair of brackets 53 and 54; between which is journaled an in its travel to and from the reel will rest upon said roller and thus lessen the wear thereon.

' has been described in detail it will be noted that various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to Without departingfrom' the spirit of the invention or scope of, the appended claims.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. A clothes line reel comprisinga casing having its sides correspondingly slotted and opening ,throughone edge thereof, said slots having like recesses formed in corresponding walls, a shaft mounted in said recesses, a

locking plate slidably mounted on each side of the casing and provided with a recess in its lower edge adapted to receive and hold the shaft against bodily movement in the slots in the sides'of the casing, and a reel fixed on said shaft.

2. A clothes line reel comprising a casing having its sides correspondingly slotted and opening through one edge thereof, a shaft havmg its respective ternnnals mounted in said slots. a pan of guide ralls mounted on \Vhile one particular form ofthe device each side of the casing. a locking plate slidably mounted at said guide rails and adaptcd to be. moved uito'engagement with the shaft to secure the latter against bodily movei'nentin the slot in which it is mounted,

means for securing said locking plates in adjusted position with respect to the guide rails, and a reel fixed on said shaft.

3. A. clothes line reel comprising a casing having its sides correspondingly slotted andopening through one edge thereof, a shaft having its respective terminals mounted in said slots, a pair of guide rails on each Side of the casing, a locking plate slidably mounted between each pair of guide rails and adapted to be moved into engagement with the shaft to hold same against bodily movement in the slots in which it is mounted, each of said locking plates having a slot formed therein and opening through one edge thereof, a set screw mounted in each side of the casing and extending through said slots whereby the locking plate may be secured in any adjusted position with relation'to the guide rails, and a reel fixed on said shaft.

In testimony whereof, I allix my signature, .in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN c. r'oommx.

'itnesses FRANK Poomux.

l. M (Manual; 

